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Penn State football opens the 2013 season vs. Syracuse on Aug. 31 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Image: MetLife Stadium

Public ticket sale underway for Penn State opener at MetLife Stadium

June 14, 2013

Public ticket sale underway for Penn State opener at MetLife Stadium

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Nittany Lion fans who wish to sit in the Penn State sections for the season opener vs. Syracuse at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., can place orders now.

The 127th season opener for Coach Bill O'Brien's Nittany Lions will kick at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Penn State fans were able to call 1-800-NITTANY on Monday, June 17. Fans now can call weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to place their orders. Nittany Lion Club members also can order tickets at 1-800-NITTANY or online via their Account Manager.

The Penn State Alumni Association will sponsor two events in conjunction with the Penn State-Syracuse clash. On Friday, August 30, an Alumni and Friends Mixer will be held at Redd's Restaurant and Bar, 317 Washington Avenue in Carlstadt, N.J. Sponsored by the Northern New Jersey Chapter and the Penn State Alumni Association, the Penn State cheerleaders and the Nittany Lion mascot will be among the attendees. For details and to purchase tickets, go to http://psunj.org.

On Aug.31, the Penn State pep rally tent opens at 12:30 p.m. and the rally begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Bud Light Plaza on the east side of MetLife Stadium. Attendees will include the Penn State Pep Band and cheerleaders and the Nittany Lion. Free refreshments will be available. A game ticket is required for admittance into the plaza area where the pep rally will be held. Penn State alumni and fans attending the pep rally must enter through the Bud Light Plaza entrance on the east side of the stadium and there is no re-entry.

The Nittany Lions and Orange have met 70 times previously, the second-highest total for a Penn State opponent, with the first game in 1922. Penn State owns a 42-23-5 on-field series advantage, winning the most recent contests during the 2008 and '09 seasons. The teams met every season from 1944-90, but did not meet again until the 2008 contest in the Carrier Dome.

Penn State will be playing in MetLife Stadium for the first time and at the Meadowlands for the first time in 13 years, when it faced USC in the 2000 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium. The Nittany Lions and Orange met once at Giants Stadium, with the Penn State posting a 35-7 win on Oct. 20, 1979. The Nittany Lions were 10-3 overall at Giants Stadium.

The Nittany Lions will be opening the season at the Meadowlands for the sixth time, having beaten Rutgers (1977), Georgia Tech (1991) and USC (1996) and losing to Nebraska (1983) and USC (2000). The last four contests were in the Kickoff Classic.

The Penn State-Syracuse clash will be an ABC regional telecast, with coverage on ESPN2 in the rest of the nation. Coverage on the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com will begin at 2 p.m.

Penn State returns 16 starters and 38 letterwinners for this fall. Season tickets are available for the 2013 campaign. The Nittany Lions will host five bowl teams from 2012, including three teams that finished in the BCS Top 25: Michigan (Oct. 12, 5 p.m. - Homecoming), Nebraska (Nov. 23) and Kent State (Sept. 21). Purdue (Nov. 16), Illinois (Nov. 2), UCF (Sept. 14, 6 p.m.) and Eastern Michigan (Sept. 7, noon) also will visit Beaver Stadium this fall.

For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.